Because of A Bet
by Lyrical Angel
Summary: Bella has known the course of her life since she was twelve years old. She is the Princess of the Volturi, destined to become a vampire and rule with the rest of her family by her side. Can a single man and a single bet change all that? Non-cannon pairings. Rating may change. *Note this is a rewrite of my story Firefly*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

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The last note from the violin hung in the air. A smile graced my face as I looked at everyone else. There was a grin of conspiracy on everyone's faces as the song finished. We had been working on it for weeks, coming up with the perfect melody and even fixing a few of the lyrics, just so it could be done in time for tonight's party.

_Tonight's ball,_ I corrected myself immediately. Parties were something that were fun and light and altogether inconsequential for me to attend. A ball, on the other hand? That was a party on steroids times a million. Plus, even if I wanted to sit in my room instead of going, that was out of the question. It was, after all, the most important event of the decade at least. It was my formal introduction as princess. And if that didn't make me nervous, I was the princess of the Volturi, which means that the people I was being introduced to was the bulk of the vampire community. Talk about pressure.

"Great job, Bells! He's gonna love that song!" Jane said, coming up to high five me. We giggled for a little bit before I really studied her. She was beautiful- of course- but also strangely angelic looking. Blonde hair framed her face delicately, bringing out the youthful features. The only thing off putting were her normally bright red eyes. I frowned, looking from her pitch black eyes to equally dark eyes of the other vampires in the room. They were all trying to avoid my searching eyes, but I saw.

"Heidi isn't back yet?"

"She's supposed to be arriving soon, Bella. Don't worry about it." Alec was the one who spoke up. His dark hair was opposite of his sister. Even though they were twins, frozen at the same age, Alec was a good head taller than Jane.

"I have to be killing your throats though. Why didn't anyone tell me?" I asked, crossing my arms. Damn it. They all knew how much I hated being the cause of their raging bloodlust. Everyone in the room just sent me a grin and chuckled. "Seriously, you guys!"

"Relax, princess. You're father just called me and said he and your uncles want to see you before tonight."

I automatically smiled at that. My 'daddy' as I often called him, was Caius, one of the three kings. My uncles, Aro and Marcus, were the other two kings. They could be harsh and beyond difficult at times, but they were my family. Actually, everyone in this castle was my family. From the kings, to the guard, right down to the very human workers that lived her with us as well. It had taken a good two years or so to finally get them all to relax around each other, but now we were just one big giant silly group. The only time any of them were ever formal was when there were important matters at hand or we had guests.

I flipped my waist length brown hair over my shoulder before heading out of the room. There were chuckles behind me, and I looked over my shoulder again. "Well? Are you coming or what?"

That was all it took for me to be thrown over Alec's shoulder. We were in the middle of the throne room not even five seconds later. Running with vampires is exhilarating, I'll tell you that much. I don't recommend getting caught off guard unless you've had a good six years or so to get used to it. When my feet touched the ground I immediately smacked my friend's chest.

"You jerk. A little warning would have been appreciated." My voice was more laughter than anything else. I was about to sit on the ground when my father and uncles walked in. "Hello, daddy! Uncle Aro, Uncle Marcus."

"Hello, Bella," they all said at the same time. We all watched them move gracefully to their thrones and sit down. I noted that their eyes were also getting fairly dark. That made me frown again. Where the hell was Heidi? She knew how important today was.

"Do not worry about Heidi, daughter. She will be arriving soon. We just wanted to tell you that someone else has just gotten back as well."

I looked around confused. Who had just arrived? Nobody was due to get here until six. Anyone we had sent out was due back tomorrow morning. My puzzled face must have been pretty hilarious because someone started to chuckle a rather familiar chuckle. A grin spread across my face as I finally found the surprise returnee.

"Demetri!" I launched myself at him, hugging the over-sized man. He caught me in his arms, lifting me off the ground to spin me around. I laughed, giddiness taking over everything. He set me on his shoulders and started running around. I yelled in surprise, causing my family to laugh. I giggled as we ran in circles. My eyes studied everyone carefully.

Everyone was so much more relaxed than they were when I arrived five years ago. They were much less hostile and much more relaxed around the few humans that weren't actually their food. You see, before I came along, these guys were ruthless. They're the Volturi after all. And if you don't know who that is, let me put in perspective for you. These guys are like the mafia of all vampires. They hunt humans, are cut-throat and downright vicious.

Now imagine a small little twelve year old girl entering a place that houses these killers. As you can probably guess, it was quite a cultural shock to both of us. I had to be much more careful and always around a very select few members of the guard, and they all had to learn to control themselves around me. It had a taken a good year and a half before I finally got fed up and started to change things. Now, here we all were, the kings in their thrones, the guard members sitting or standing against the walls, and me and my 'big brother' of sorts running around with laughter bouncing off the walls.

Our fun came to a rather abrupt halt as the large mahogany doors opened. Gianna, our very human secretary, poked her head in the room shyly. Demetri set me back on the ground, fixing my hair in the process. I leaned back into him, letting him wrap his arms around me. "Is everything alright, Gianna?"

"Oh, yes, Princess. It's just that Mistress Heidi has arrived. Also, some of the covens have confirmed that they will be here around four."

"Very well. Thank you, Gianna. Please have someone ready my car. I still need to pick up a few things for my dinner."

She bowed her head, sending me another shy smile. "Of course. It will be ready when you choose to leave."

"Thank you," I sang happily, turning around to face my family. They all had varying degrees of disappointment. I my brows drew together a little. Having them disappointed just wouldn't do. It was a very happy day after all. I was finally going to be announced to people. How exciting, right? "Stop pouting. Heidi is back, you are all going to have a wonderful meal while ridding the world of shmuck-like people, and tonight we are gonna party- well you are going to party, all night!"

A few chuckles followed after my statement. I skipped forward, kissing my father and uncles on the cheek. Then I moved back to Demetri. He grinned and accepted my kiss willingly. On my way out, I passed Heidi. We gave each other a quick hug before she led a group of people toward the Throne Room. I didn't feel much pity for them considering they were all scum.

When I arrived in the garages, my car was waiting for me just like I had asked. It was a beauty, making me smile as I stroked the hood lovingly. With the small show of affection to the automobile, I climbed in and pulled out of the garage. The sun shined down, feeling like a very wonderful late spring day.

With my radio blaring, windows down, and the sun shining, my day was looking perfect. Since I knew my worries and nerves would hit me full force the closer I got to the actually party, I took this little moment of free time to actually enjoy myself. I refused to worry about anything.

By the time Jane called me, telling me it was okay to head home now, I was perfectly relaxed an carefree. Too bad I knew that my worry-free mindset would disappear as soon as I got home.

_Oh well,_ I thought speeding down the streets. _That's the life of a princess. And I wouldn't change it for anything._

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**A/N: So, this is the first chapter of Because of A Bet! Thank you so much to SkylarBlack for the title suggestion! Please remember that this is the re-write of Firefly. While it won't be exactly the same, it will be very similar. I hope you all like. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

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I almost regretted coming home to the mercy of seven female vampires. They were waiting for me as soon as I stepped out of my car. I barely had time to call close my door before I was literally swept off my feet up into my room to get ready for the ball. The seven women - Heidi, Jane, Mia, Sulpicia, Renata, and my 'mother', Athenadora- were hectic as they waxed, buffed, plucked, moisturized, and applied make up to my face and any visible skin. After that, they went to painting my nails, choosing jewelry, doing my hair, and clothes.

Between all this, they all took turns getting ready themselves. Not that I will ever admit it to them, but the six somewhat tortuous hours that I spent sitting in my massive bathroom were kind of fun. By the time they finally declared me done, they were all looking like models. Heidi and Jane brought in the bag with my dress in it. Nobody would let me look in the mirror until after my mom had placed my tiara on my head. When I did get to look at myself though, I was surprised.

The dress was tight fitted on top, sticking to my torso like a second skin. It had two little pieces of fabric that reminded me of Cinderella's dress. Not surprisingly, the dress was red with silver and black accents. The very full skirt flared out from my hips. Overall, the dress highlighted my figure in an amazing way. The tiara on my head, glittering with obsidian gems and rubies, completed the outfit. I looked very much like the princess I technically was.

"Oh, darling," Athenadora said, smiling. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, mom." I said, hugging her. As we pulled away from each other, there was a knock on my door. Everyone shared a look and a grin as I looked towards the doors. Nobody was supposed to be coming by. We had all agreed that instead of meeting up in my room, everyone would meet in the ballroom. Who would actually show up?

I got my answer when a familiar teasing voice called out to me. "You ready yet, woman? I'm not waiting for you all night!" My heart soared as my bedroom door opened. Laughter echoed through my bedroom as my big brother and sister walked in. "Well? Are you just gonna stand there?"

"Peter! Char!" I exclaimed, running as fast as I could in my heels. They both laughed as I threw my arms around both of them. When I pulled back to study them, I noted Peter's shit-eating grin. That could only mean something was going to happen tonight. Hopefully it wouldn't embarrass me too much.

Char hugged me again before taking my appearance with sisterly pride. "Look at you, sugar. You look like a real princess."

I blushed. "Thank you, Char. When did y'all get here?" Even in my embarrassment, I couldn't help by being excited. Peter and Charlotte were two of the best, if not a bit annoying, brother and sister I could have. These two were some of the most feared vampires. Maybe even more feared than my family. I had only heard of one person above them, but they assured me he wasn't that scary. Despite their assurances though, Caius still asked them not to bring him here just yet.

"Just now, honey. They all looked rather excited." Peter said, kissing my forehead in affection.

"Actually, Firefly," Demetri's voice rang out, making me smile. I turned towards him and grinned even bigger as I saw him dressed up all fancy. He looked almost like he had those years ago when I had met him. A small smile crossed his face, as if he could read my thoughts. "The Kings have summoned you. All of your guests arrived now."

I gave him a quick hug before shooing the women out of the room to the mates that were waiting for them. The happy, almost goofy look that crossed their faces almost made me sigh. They moved out the room at vampire speed. I could track them if I wanted to, but my eyes were glued to Heidi and Demetri. They were adorable, wrapped up in each others arms like no one else in the room.

It stung slightly, to see the happy couples in my home. It seemed like everyone had someone. Maybe they weren't all mates, but they had someone to hold. Everyone except for me, of course. Not that I was trying to be bitter or anything. All these couples who are so in love just tended to make me feel even more like an outsider than I already was.

"Come on, Bells. I'll escort you to the ballroom doors," Peter said, kissing his mates head real fast before leading me away at human speed. Once we were safely away from their hearing range, Peter got down to business questioning me. "What's wrong with ya, honey?"

"It's nothing, Petey. Just slightly disappointed that I don't have a date to my own ball," I said softly, walking down the hallway. He wrapped an arm around my waist to comfort me. We were the only ones in the long hallway. The closer to the ballroom, the louder the voices seemed to get. I twisted part of my dress, then smoothed it out only to repeat the movement again and again.

All my confidence seemed to leave me with every step I took. Soon enough I was shaking with fright. Living with a giant group of killers didn't seem to mean anything to me at this moment in time. "I can't do this, Peter. They're gonna hate me. I'm going to freeze up in front of them all and then-"

"Firefly," he cut me off, using the term of endearment that all my family used. "Stop worrying, okay? They're all going to love you."

"How do you know?" I whimpered.

Peter flashed me a wicked grin. "Because, I'm Yoda." At my disapproving look, he shook his head, getting serious. "Bella, honey, do you remember when you first got here? You were a tiny little thing, barely able to speak without a little stutter. You managed to wrap the most violent, heartless coven in the universe around your little finger. If you can do that, you can get everyone here to love you too."

"They only loved me because 'Metri, Jane, and Alec were protecting me though."

We stopped a few feet from the doors, and he lowered his voice, bending down to look me in the eye. "No, Bella. They loved you because you walked in and saw the goodness in them right away. I'll see you inside there. Keep your head up. You're a princess after all."

I watched him run away, closing the door behind him quickly. Once I was alone, I thought back to my memories, only focusing on them for a few seconds. Those few seconds did miracles for me though. Before I could re-lose my newly gained confidence, my father's voice rang out loud enough for me to hear.

"We'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight. Many of you are curious as to who this 'princess' of ours is. Let me be the first to introduce my daughter, Isabella Marie 'Firefly' Volturi!"

_Breath, Bella. You're a princess. And it's only the majority of the vampire community. No pressure or anything._ I thought to myself, taking a deep breath. With no further hesitation I pushed the doors open, and walked into the room where all eyes turned to look at me.

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**A/N: Here's the second chapter guys! I had issues writing this so I hope it's not horrible. Next chapter will have songs in it. Thanks for reading, everyone! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

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Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting as I walked in. Silence? Growls and snapping teeth? Maybe a few 'boos' like crowds at live sporting events? Hell, maybe I was even thinking they were going to lunge at me and try to suck me dry. Let me tell you though, I wasn't expecting the genuine excited smiles that I got. Sure, some people gave me the whole 'I'm-holier-than-thou' look, but hey. If they were supposedly better than me, why was I the princess?

Up on the dais in front of me stood my dad with his arm around mom's waist. Next to them stood uncle Aro and aunt Sulpicia, and next to them stood uncle Marcus. They were all smiling widely, encouraging me to come forward. Butterflies had reappeared in my stomach making my breathing speed up. There was no way I could do this by myself. Knowing my luck I would fall flat on my face.

A cold arm slipped around my waist, leading me forward. By the smell of his cologne, I could tell it was my own personal superhero. Demetri had come to my rescue again. I leaned into him subtly as his cool breath washed over the side of my face. He spoke soft enough that I was positive I was the only one to actually hear him. "Breathe, Firefly. Nobody is going to hurt you when we are around."

I nodded, walking through the parted crowd of people. With Demetri by my side it was a lot easier than I had thought it would have been. Not once in the short walk did I trip or stumble. My head stayed high and my shoulders stayed back, hopefully making me look dignified or regal. My parents pulled me into a hug when I reached them, then stepped aside to let me say my speech. Sadly I had no idea I was saying a speech. Guess I was just gonna have to wing it. Whoop-dee-doo.

"Good evening, everyone. As my father said, I'm Isabella Volturi. Thank you all for flying all the way out here to join us tonight. I hope to be able to talk and meet as many of you as I can tonight, but I am only human." I said happily. I got a few genuine laughs and few chuckles from people. "Please enjoy the party."

I turned around, listening carefully to the vampires behind me starting to mingle again. A sigh of relief was the first thing that crossed my lips. Everyone around me gave a chuckle at my nervousness since it didn't happen all to often. I mean, I'm not shy or anything, but speaking in front of vampires who could kill me in a second didn't exactly rub me the right way. The three kings, along with the wives, sat down in their thrones, chuckling. They waved me away, so my last second escort took my hand and led me to my little group of friends.

All of them gave me a hug before someone tapped my shoulder. I was delighted by this even though I kept a soft smile on my face. Inside, I was jumping for joy over the fact that someone had actually set out to come and sp =eak with me.

"Good evening, Princess." A tall man. He bowed to me and nodded his head to the others. Everyone repeated the gesture, but I noted that Demetri had seemed to stiffen slightly, looking a little pained, which made me a tiny bit upset. I took a tiny step closer to him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "My name is Amun, leader of the Egyptian coven. May I introduce my coven at this time?"

I smiled brightly, holding my hand out for him to shake. "Please do. I would be greatly appreciate it." My enthusiasm must be contagious, because his whole coven let out a little chuckle.

"First I would like to introduce my mate, Kebi," he said. He pulled a pale olive skinned lady nest to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. She stood next to him, silently and obediently, without a single question. A part of me wondered if she was always like that. "Then behind us is Benjamin and his mate, Tia." He gestured to an olive skinned man who looked to be a few years older than myself and a his small mate. They both sent me big smiles, showing their fangs, as they bowed in greeting.

"Thank you all so much for coming. I wish I had more time to talk to all of you, but I have princess-y obligations. After I have made rounds though, please come find me again. I really would enjoy getting to know you all."

They all gave me warm smiles as they nodded and walked off. As soon as they were an appropriate distance away, I turned to look at Demetri. He had a look in his eyes that said he was expecting me to question him, which I was about to do. Luckily for him, a new coven appeared, ready to introduce themselves. The amount of people, both nomads and covens alike, who wanted to meet me, was enough to make me beyond giddy. By the time Peter and Char came to tell me it was time to get ready for the show, I had met quite a few vampires.

"Come on, Firefly! We need to get you all dolled up," Charlotte said excitedly. I kissed Demetri's cheek as I let her pull me away. He chuckled, shaking his head. I saw Jane and Alec grinning like crazy as they left to get our instruments and the other band mates.

Before we actually made it out the door a kind voice stopped me. "Excuse me, Princess. I apologize for stopping you, but I would like to introduce my family if that is alright with you." The thing that stopped me was the word 'family.' Plenty of people had introduced themselves as nomads, mates, and covens, but this was the first family that had come up to me. "If you are in a hurry then we can wait, of course."

"No. It's not a problem." I turned around, to face them, Peter and Char talking to each other behind me. At first they all looked normal. There were six of them altogether. By the looks of it, they were all mated as well. Then I noticed their eyes. It wasn't the deep ruby color I had become accustomed to over the years. Instead, their irises were a deep gold color. Almost like butterscotch. "Your eyes!"

The man in front, the leader I guessed, nodded. The rest of them all had smiles on there faces and chuckled. My face heated up as I blushed furiously. I opened my mouth to apologize, but the man in front stopped me. "No need to say sorry, Princess. It is a very common reaction, as you may guess. My name is Carlisle Cullen. It is a pleasure to meet you."

My interest peaked at his name. "Carlisle, you say? Uncle Aro has mentioned you before. You're family drinks animals, correct?"

"Yes, that is true." He smiled again, reaching a hand out. I took it, shaking it happily. Daddy and my uncles spoke fondly of the Cullen family, even if they had an odd diet. Carlisle seemed like an easy man to get along with, and very relaxed. "Let me introduce everyone. This is my mate, Esme." He motioned towards the woman by his side. "Next is my oldest son,Edward and his mate Alice." A bronze haired teenager gave me a crooked smile and the little pixie next to him waved at me. "Then comes my daughter Rosalie and her mate, Emmett." Since the only people left was a beautiful blonde who could be Heidi's rival and a very large mountain of a man, I assumed that was them. Emmett winked at me, giving me a little salute in greeting. "I'm afraid I'm not sure where my third son has gone at this moment."

"Don't worry about it, Dr. C. We'll make sure Jazz-man meets Firefly here." Peter spoke up directly to Carlisle.

"Hello, Peter. It's wonderful to see you and Charlotte again. You two must come visit us more often." Carlisle said with genuine sincerity. The people behind him nodded eagerly. My brother and sister just laughed.

"We will, we will. I have a feeling you'll be seeing us around a lot." I rolled my eyes at his 'feeling.' "Right now though, we need to get this lady up to her room before Jane throws a fit."

"Please come find me afterwards! I would love to talk to you more." I said quickly as Peter scooped me up and dashed out of the room. Behind me I could hear the laughter of people behind me. We arrived in my room less than two seconds later. I grumbled as he set me down on the floor, closed the door, then hopped on my bed.

"I am perfectly capable of walking, Peter. Your assistance was unnecessary."

He rolled his eyes, and let Char drag me into my closet. She threw clothes at me, and I nodded in approval at the destroyed skinny jeans, corset type top, and heels. I turned around when I got the top on to let her tie it. I only had to remind her once that I was still human, thank God. "Oh, yeah. Who's Jazz and how do you know the Cullens?"

"Later, sugar. We're gonna be late if you don't hurry your ass up." I huffed at his blunt way of putting things. That's what I loved about him though and I wouldn't change it for the world. When the last touches were complete, we left. Charlotte, who was the one to carry me this time, stopped just before the doorway. She set me down behind her, as both her and Peter stood stiffly in front of me.

"Jasper! There you are! Carlisle has been looking for you," Charlotte scolded someone.

There was a huff of annoyance before a panty-dropping voice spoke up. "Good too see ya as well, Char. I'm well aware of Carlisle. He found me and said I had to come meet our new 'Princess'," The word princess dripped off his lips with disdain and sarcasm. My eyes widened a little as my blood started to simmer. Peter flinched a little and Char just shook her head. "It's a joke, really. She's a human after all."

"Excuse me? What the hell is wrong with being human? Weren't you one before?" I growled angrily, pushing my way through the couple in front of me to glare at this 'Jasper' person. "If you have a problem with me, man up and say it to my face."

A part of me was hoping that despite the sexy voice, I was going to be facing the worlds first ugly vampire. Unfortunately for me, he was far from ugly. This vampire in front of me was so gorgeous that I couldn't believe he was a vampire. He had to be a god. The god of sex if anything. He was a full cowboy. Just like Peter, he towered over me and was had a head full of shaggy curls. The only difference between their hair was that Pete's hair was a platinum blond color and Jasper's was a beautiful honey blond. His eyes were what really got me though. They were neither red like my family or gold like his family. Instead they were a very pretty shade of amber. Almost like maple syrup.

Jasper gave me a cocky smirk as he caught me staring. The look in his eyes told me that he liked what he saw. I wasn't sure if he liked my blood or if he liked my body, but my cheeks flamed either way. "Well aren't you a little spit fire, darling?" He didn't give me time to answer as he grabbed one of my hands and brought it to his lips like an actual southern gentleman would. I almost gasped, but not because of the gesture. Quite a lot of people had kissed my hand tonight. The thing that was surprising was that his hands weren't smooth and cold like everyone else's. His hand was rough and just a few degrees warmer, kind of like Peter and Charlotte's hands. "Allow me to introduce myself, Princess Isabella. I'm Jasper Whitlock-Hale."

My eyes widened a bit. Whitlock. The same last name as Peter and Charlotte. Which meant that this sex god in front of me was a god, just not the one I thought he was. In front of me, kissing my hand, was the one and only Major Jasper Whitlock, the God of War.

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**A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! I'm working on all my other stories right now as well. I know I said that I was going to have songs in this chapter but I didn't put in any. I'm going about the same pace as Firefly, so next chapter I swear will have Bella singing in it. Thanks for reading everyone! Please review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

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My shock was quickly replaced with anger when I saw him smirking up at me. This bastard was trying to charm his way out of upsetting and insulting me. I would have none of it, despite the fact that he was probably the single most feared vampire in history. Did he really think that he could insult me, call me a joke simply because I was human, and then get away with it? Well if he did, he had another thing coming to him. Before I could actually speak my mind, Peter had clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Now you've done it, J-man. Thanks for winding the girl up. You can talk to the hell kitten after she's done performing." His voice was exasperated as he gave his friend a look. Jasper on the other hand looked thoroughly amused. He shrugged when he was done studying me and had the nerve to wink at me. My blood boiled inside my veins. Peter dragged me inside with Char following close behind me. I forced a smile on my face, but it didn't fool my family. They all chuckled as I walked up to where my band members were currently standing. Demetri pulled me into his arms, kissing my temple to calm me down.

Nobody spoke to me for a few seconds as I placed my head on 'Metri's shoulder, breathing in deep breaths. Only when my immediate anger dissipated did Demetri finally speak up.

"Who got you upset, my little Firefly?" He asked as my closest family members, minus my parents, aunt, and uncles, surrounded me. I could feel the closer vampire guests watching me and Demetri, but I didn't care. We had a bond that nobody but ourselves needed to understand. When it was time, I would share the story my family knew, but not the whole story.

I waved a hand in the general direction we had come in. I neither knew or cared if Jasper had come back into the throne room yet. "Him. He's the one who's got me all riled up!" I spat as sweetly as I could. Just because I was angry didn't mean I could act like a spoiled brat. I was a princess and damn it! I wasn't gonna let Jasper fucking Whitlock ruin my chances at a half decent impression. Behind me I could hear, Charlotte speaking to them in vampire speed. She was talking about how my first meeting with him had gone. 'Metri tightened his hold on me for a few seconds before he forced himself to relax. I could hear the tiny rumble building in his chest, but he had enough control to keep it quiet. He spoke back, but I didn't hear his reply because Felix was now gathering the band to go on stage.

Demetri leaned down to kiss my cheek before lifting me onto the stage. We didn't have microphones because we knew everyone would hear us without them. I went and stood across from Felix who was my designated stage buddy most days. "Hi again, everybody! Right now our band is nameless, but we're gonna play a few songs for you. I hope you like them!" I surveyed the crowd. From the people I had met, which was almost the whole room surprisingly, they gave me genuine smiles. I spotted another golden eyed coven I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet. They were standing with the Cullen family though, no surprise. Birds of a feather flock together, right? "This first song was written a few months ago. It's called Obsession."

I smiled as the music started and they others started the woahs at the beginning. I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them, Felix gave me a nod and started walking toward me as he played the guitar.

**(Obsession by Sky Ferreira)**

There is nothing better than loosing yourself to music. During the whole song it was like me and Felix were in our own little world. I could hear the whistles from the audience at certain points during the song, but it didn't bother me at all. When the song was done, Felix had his guitar around his back and pulled me against him until our chests were pressed against each other. I blushed when I heard Demetri and Peter giving out cat calls. Those two were always making me blush. The audience was clapping sincerely though, which made me happy.

"Our next song is called Goin' Down."

**(Goin' Down by The Pretty Reckless)**

This was one of my favorite songs to perform simply because it was fun. Peter hopped on stage about halfway through the song and dragged Char with him. We all played out the song, so to speak. At the end of it, Peter laid 'dead' on the ground as Char stood over him as I was kneeling next to him to kiss his cheek. He surprised me though by turning his head at the last second and actually kissing me. He sent me a 'gotcha!' look as Charlotte just smiled and smacked the back of his head.

I chuckled as Felix helped me up. "Well we have to more songs if that's okay with you all." They all laughed and clapped some more. Of course I saw a few people who were still not happy with me, but that didn't matter. I looked around the room and spotted Jasper leaning against the wall. He was looking at me curiously, almost as if he wanted to say something. A secretly devious grin played on my lips. I had the perfect song for him. "This next song is called Do Somethin'."

**(Do Somethin' by Britney Spears)**

I pulled Peter up on the stage to dance with me for this song. We moved like we had practiced this a million times instead of just improvising. It was fun, that's for sure. Almost the whole room howled with laughter at the end of the song when I pushed Peter away from. He shook his head, giving me a wink and a mock bow. I blew him a kiss before surveying the crowd again. Jasper had left his spot against the wall and was now in what looked to be a heated discussion with Alice. Not that I cared. I had something much more important to do then waste my time with him.

"So, this next song is a song that's really important to me," I spoke as I sat down on the edge of the stage. Behind me I could hear the others getting the right instruments for the song. This is actually a new song, so only the people on stage with me have actually heard it. I wrote this song a while back, but haven't actually put music to it until now.

"The reason this song is important to me is because it's dedicated to somebody really special to me and it'll be the first time he's heard it." I could feel the eyes on me, but none of it mattered as I sought the one pair of red eyes that actually mattered. He was right there at the front of the stage, looking at me with a curious expression. "This is I'm With You, for Demetri."

**(I'm With You by Avril Lavigne)**

_I'm standing on the bridge  
I'm waiting in the dark  
I thought that you'd be here by now  
_

_There's nothing but the rain  
No footsteps on the ground  
I'm listening but there's no sound  
Isn't anyone trying to find me  
Won't somebody come take me home_

I sang the first verse just looking out at the crowd as I sat. When the chorus came around though, I had to look down at his brilliant red eyes while I sang the song. They were wide with understanding and awe. I stood up and held out my hand for him so he could join me up on stage.

_It's a damn cold night  
Trying to figure out this life  
Won't you, take me by the hand  
Take me somewhere new  
I don't know who you are but I  
I'm with you  
I'm with you_

_I'm looking for a place  
I'm searching for a face  
Is there anyone here I know_

_Cause nothings going right  
And everything's a mess  
And no one likes to be alone  
Isn't anyone trying to find me  
Won't somebody come take me home_

_It's a damn cold night  
Trying to figure out this life  
Won't you, take me by the hand  
Take me somewhere new  
I don't know who you are but I  
I'm with you  
I'm with you, yeah yeah_

_Why is everything so confusing?  
Maybe I'm just out of my mind  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

My eyes were starting to water a bit. Memories from that night, the night we met and everything changed, came back to me as we looked at each other. I wasn't the same little girl from back then, but I was still Bella. The same Bella that needed his help now just as much as she needed it back then. Demetri's eyes were starting to well up with venom he wouldn't be able to shed. I knew he was recalling the memories as well by the look he gave me. I sang the last part quietly as I stared into his eyes.

_It's a damn cold night  
Trying to figure out this life  
Won't you, take me by the hand  
Take me somewhere new  
I don't know who you are  
But I... I'm with you  
I'm with you_

_Take me by the hand  
Take me somewhere new  
I don't know who you are  
But I... I'm with you  
I'm with you_

_Take me by the hand  
Take me somewhere new  
I don't know who you are  
But I..._

_I'm with you._

The sound of the violin held in the air and everything was silent. He pulled me into his arms as I whispered, "I love you, 'Metri." My voice was quiet, but I knew everyone could hear it. The room exploded into applause, but it no longer seemed important. Only the man who was holding me was important. He was the reason I was still alive. He was the reason I was okay.

"I love you too, my little Firefly. Never forget that, okay?" I nodded and he scooped me up. He spoke to Peter and Char, telling them that he was going to take me back to my room, and then we were off, flying down the hallways. We reached my room quickly enough, and I changed back into my dress. We took our time back to the ball.

This time, as I entered the room, there was a crowd of people waiting for me. I held tightly to Demetri's hand and he held me close. I thanked them and chatted with them for a bit. Demetri did crowd control, keeping them to a minimum so I didn't get overwhelmed. I slowly made my way toward the Cullen family, just as I promised before the mini-concert. Thank God that Jasper was nowhere to be seen. I slightly wondered why he had been talking to Alice, but didn't dwell on it.

"Princess Isabella! What a wonderful performance." Carlisle greeted me warmly.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me," I said to him. "I'm sorry that I didn't have time to talk with you before hand."

"Oh don't worry about it, Bella. We all know that you're super busy," The little pixie, chimed in as she bounced over to us. Edward was right behind her, sending me an apologetic glance. I was a little startled by the way she addressed me so casually, but she didn't seem to notice. "We are going to be such great friends. I've already seen it! You are such huge part of the vampire community and everyone will love you! This is so exciting!"

She continued to speak quickly, only this time on the topic of my music. I blinked as I listened to her. If I hadn't spent years here, I would be lost. My eyes darted up to Demetri as a sense of overwhelming-ness crashed over me. He just grinned and shrugged, telling me he was just as helpless as I was. Part of her comment speech confused me though. Alice used the phrase 'I've seen it' a lot, but I didn't understand why. What did it mean?

"Alice, darling," That sexy panty-dropping voice spoke up behind me. "I think the Princess is a little overwhelmed and confused. Why don't you take it down a notch?" I spun around to glower at him, something he smirked at. "Princess. How nice to see you again," he purred with a mock bow.

"Hello, Whitlock. I wish I could say the same for you, but it really isn't." Demetri pulled me closer, whispering in my ear to be quiet. I rolled my eyes at him. "What do you want?"

Carlisle coughed a little, seeming to be slightly uncomfortable. "I can explain that. I see you have already met Jasper, my third son that I was telling you about." My eyes widened as it clicked in to place. How had I not figured it out sooner? This explained so much! Jasper smirked at me and I glowered at him again.

"Well shit," I said quietly. "How did such lovely people like them get stuck with an ass like him?" Peter was by my side the second the words left my lips, clamping a hand over my mouth while glaring at me. I glared right back, wanting to bite his hand. Instead I settled for licking it, but he just grimaced and kept his hand there. His eyes flashed dangerously as he looked from me, to Jasper, and then back to me.

Jasper looked amused for the most part. There was a slight tension to his jaw and I swear there was a flash of panic, but it was gone to soon and he went back to looking like his arrogant self right away.

"I'm sorry, you guys. Isabella here must have had a long day. I think it's time she went to bed." The words weren't a suggestion. They were a command. Which only worked in pissing me off more. Who the hell was he to order me about? I turned around to face Demetri. He shrugged and rushed me out of the room.

I flopped down on my bed and let Demetri close the door so I didn't slam it. He sighed before picking me up and holding me. "Go to bed, Firefly. I'll have Jane and Charlotte come in and change you later." I nodded, closing my eyes and breathing in his scent. Before I fell asleep completely, I had one last thought. _Man, I fucking hate Jasper Whitlock._

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait, but this chapter is kind long, right? I've decided that I'm not going to put Jasper POV chapters in this story, but I'll be making another story later on that is Jasper's side of the story. That'll have to come later when I have time though. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

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A scream bounced off my walls, jolting my sweat body out of bed. My legs were tangled up in my sheets, making me feel claustrophobic as I searched for the source of the scream. It took me a few seconds but then it dawned on me that I was the screamer. I choked it off, gasping for air as tears streamed down my face. My whole body shook with fear, sobs, and just trying to get air into my lungs. It barely registered in my mind that Demetri had left my room and was no longer here.

Outside my door, shouts were echoing down the hall, making me shake more. There was pounding on my door, causing me to whimper in fear. I grabbed a pillow from behind me and clutched it tightly, still trying to kick the confining sheets off my legs. I held the pillow in front of me like it was a shield. Everywhere I looked it seemed like the shadows were coming alive, reaching for me, taunting me. Any second the monsters would reappear. I shook, forgetting that I was seventeen years old. Everything about right now brought back my little eleven year old self and that night. A resounding bang reached my ears and I screamed again as the door opened and in darted black figures.

"Don't touch me! Please! I swear I didn't see anything! Please don't hurt me!" I screamed, struggling to get away from the hands that were touching me. Someone picked me up, trying to whisper something into my ear, but I just flailed around. Another set of hands joined the first pair and I screamed louder. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear, trying to fling myself away from them. Two very distinct roars echoed through the room, though I couldn't tell who they came from.

"Give her too me, Alec. Now." A voice demanded as I was carefully transferred into another set of arms. I struggled to get away, begging to be left alone, then the scent hit me. It was a mixture of rain on the pavement, just cut grass, and a spice scent of cologne. The scent of safety. Demetri. I cracked my tear filled eyes open to look at him. He held me close and I threw my arms around his neck sobbing. I muttered his name along with unintelligible garbage. "Hush now, my little firefly. It's alright now. No one is going to hurt when I'm here. I won't let them. Never again."

I could hear the whispers filling my bedroom, but I couldn't focus on them. Sleep was once again coming back over me as my shaking and sobs slowed. I clung to him, fisting my hands into his shirt. "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me. They'll come back if you leave."

My room was getting quieter. I couldn't tell if it was because I was losing consciousness or if whoever was in my room was leaving. It didn't matter though, because Demetri pressed his lips softly against each of my eye lids and whispered softly to me. "Sleep now, Isabella. I promise I will be here when you wake up." With those words and a feeling of safety spread over me, I fell back into the realm of sleep.

**. . . . .**

Sunlight streamed into my windows, momentarily blinding me as I opened my eyes. I groaned, pulling the cover over my face and cursing the sun for always doing this to me. My throat was a bit scratchy, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had pushed to hard during the set of songs we did last night. A low voice chuckled at my reaction and I jumped. The chuckle turned into full blown bellows of laughter at that. It was an infectious laugh, one that you couldn't help but smile back at. I peaked my head up and stuck my tongue out at the guest in my room. Demetri.

"Are we five, Bella?"

"Maybe we are." I sat up, stretching my arms above me and crossing my legs. The vampire sitting in my room was currently peaking up at me over the top of his book. He was still in his formal wear from last night, minus the jacket that was draped over the back of the chair he was sitting on. That was strange. Normally he only stayed in my room if I asked him too. Even then though, he normally left to change into new clothes or had Heidi bring him something. "Not to be rude 'Metri- because you know I love you- but is there a reason you're still in my room in the same clothes?"

A sigh escaped his lips as he memorized his page number and set the book down. "I take it that you don't remember?"

"Remember what?" I asked him cautiously as I racked my brain for information. There was the speech, meeting people, meeting the Cullens and that ass Jasper, Pete's demand (which reminded me I need to speak with that man), and then falling asleep. Nowhere in that time span did I remember asking him to stay with me.

"You had the nightmare last night. A lot of people were concerned. You wouldn't stop screaming until I got here. Then you asked me not to leave or they would come back."

I fell backwards, pulling the covers over my head with me, groaning. I didn't care about nightmares. I could deal with those. The Nightmare though (as I had dubbed it in my head) was something totally different. It wasn't just a nightmare; it was a memory. Something that my head couldn't just come up with. The contents of it contained the worst moment of my life. Whenever it reared its ugly head, only my personal savior could help me.

The Nightmare was ugly, and it left even my family frightened. Nobody knew when it would come up, nobody knew how to handle it except for Demetri. No surprise there.

"On a scale of 1 to Furious Jane, how bad was it? Do people think I'm some super freak now? Do not make any jokes about that song Demetri Volturi!" He chuckled, as I glared at him over the top of sheets. He held his hands up , and then sighed, standing up and sitting on my bed.

"I'm not going to lie to you. It was pretty bad. We're lucky that I got back in last night instead of this morning. The Kings explained some of it, but they told everyone you would explain it later tonight." I groaned again. Damn Nightmare... Tears burned in my eyes at the thought of explaining part of my fucked up past to everyone. Cold arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from my mattress. "Nobody thinks you're super freaky," insert glare here. "And most of them just want to make sure you are okay. Now get up, get dressed and lets go feed the human."

I almost told him I wasn't hungry, but then my stomach growled loudly. _Traitor,_ I thought towards my stomach as I got up and made my way to the closet. A few minutes, a pair of low rise skinny jeans and a red long sleeve shirt with the shoulders cut out, and I was almost ready. Demetri tossed me a pair of red chuck taylors toward me and I shoved my feet into them as I fastened my firefly necklace. Then I ran a brush through my hair and chose the simplest tiara I could find since it was apparently mandatory to wear it. Whatever.

"Can you just bring me food? Please?" I said, not really wanting to face everyone. He looked like he would have done it, if Jane hadn't come in a second later, dragging me out of my room and telling me that I 'knew the rules' and that I was still a princess. She led me to the kitchen, blabbering about how much fun today was going to be. Honestly I just wanted to tell her to shut the f up, but that would be considered rude since we had guests.

By the time we reached the kitchen, I was ready to bang my head against a wall. Don't get me wrong. I loved my sister, but sometimes she could be such a handful. Before we actually entered the room, she mentioned that Peter wanted to talk to me. Remembering how my 'brother' had treated me last night, in front of guests no less, infuriated me. We walked into the kitchen and everyone in the room turned to look at me.

I automatically spotted Alec, Charlotte, Heidi, and Peter. There were a few more in the room, but I didn't really notice who. My food was waiting for me on a plate thankfully, and I sat down in my seat, pulling people around me so I didn't have to sit next to Peter. I shoved a bite of food in my mouth, grateful that it wasn't cold. Cold food always worsened my moods.

Charlotte laughed at me as I glared at Peter. "Looks like someone's in the dog house. What he do now, sugar?"

"I made her leave her party early. She should be glad I didn't drag her out of the ballroom for what she said." He growled at me. My temper snapped at his words.

"For what I said? There is nothing wrong with what I said! I wasn't talking to him or anyone else, merely talking to myself. If he doesn't like the way I think of him, then he shouldn't have been such an ass to me! I had every right for saying what I said so don't try to tell me I'm wrong."

Peter snapped his head in my direction, looking angrier than I had seen him in a long time. "I don't care if your own father told you to say that, Isabella. You don't speak like that to the Major if you want to walk away alive. There is a reason he is called the God of War!"

My fork was bouncing off his chest before I realized I had thrown it. Everyone in the room was frozen in place at the rare act of violence. Even Peter seemed to freeze for a moment. "Get the fuck over it you ass! I don't give two shits about the reason is he is called that. He treated me like dirt, so he made his first impression on my. He was the one who labeled himself as an ass so he can deal with the way he is treated. I'm not scared of some big bully!"

I had stood up at some point and now we were in each others' faces. He snarled at me, but I didn't flinch. "Maybe you should be, Isabella. Because next time you do a stupid stunt like that, I may not be there to save your pathetic human ass!"

My eyes widened, as did his, as I jerked away from him like he had actually hit me. My body shook, but I couldn't tell if it was because of anger, or if it was because of fear. I had heard those words before. Pathetic human. They were just part of the taunting threats that reoccurred in my head whenever I let my mind wander to that night. They were the words that changed my life. And everyone who knew me, knew they were the words that I feared more than anything. Peter's eyes widened as we stared at each other.

"Shit. Bella, I-"

"Why would you say that, Peter? Why?" That was all I could choke out before Peter screamed. It was sudden and he fell to his knees in pain. Venom that wouldn't be shed filled his eyes as he screamed again, this time curling into a fetal position on the ground. I spun around and found Jane glaring daggers, focusing solely on him. I flinched at a particularly pain filled scream.

I watched him for half a second longer before I had enough. "Jane, stop. You can't force pain upon him for an accident." When she didn't stop I sighed, stepping in front of her to shield him. Jane glared at me and I glared right back. With a flick of my wrist, I sent them all out. I sat down on the ground by Peter's head when they were all gone. Pulling his head onto my lap, I brushed hair off his forehead. No, I wasn't happy with him, but nobody deserved that much pain for a mistake. The person I did feel needed to be in pain right now was Jasper Whitlock-Hale-Cullen or whoever the hell he really was. He was the reason I was fighting with my brother right now.

Time passed as I waited for Peter to stop trembling. Jane must have used more pain than normal because it was taking him forever to get back to normal. When he finally got over it, the first thing he did was sit up and pull me into his arms. We didn't speak. We just sat there trying to figure out where we should go from here. Luckily for him, someone else came along to take the spotlight off him.

Whitlock.

He had a mocking grin on his face as he and a few others glided into the kitchen. Demetri was one of them. The look he gave Peter said it all. Too bad Jasper had to speak up before I could see my brother's reaction.

"Well, well, well. Did the little spit-fire run out of flames?" Since I apparently had no self-preservation so far, I guess it wasn't really a surprise when I found myself pounding my fists against his chest. He chuckled at my pointless antics, which only enraged me more.

"You stupid prick! You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" I growled at him. "This is all your freaking fault!" Demetri wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me away, but I squirmed out of his grip.

Jasper just looked amused. "First off, darling, most women love hearing me speak. Maybe it's just little girls who want me to be quiet. Secondly, how is it my fault that you have a hormone problem?"

"Did your mama teach you manners, or have you just forgotten them?"

He glowered at me. "Don't be bringing my mama into this, Princess."

"Don't bring my hormones into this, Whitlock." I glowered right back. Demetri stood behind me, and I knew he would let me get my anger out without intervening. Unless it was necessary. "You have been nothing but rude to me since we got here simply because I am a human. What happened to the amazing manners southern gentlemen are supposed to have?"

There was a spark of something in his eyes, like he figured something out. He gave me a slow smile before speaking again. "It offends me, Princess, that you would doubt me. I could easily make any unmated woman fall in love with me."

I held in a snort. "Oh please. Your talk is cheap and doesn't impress me. Lust is different then love, Mr. Whitlock."

He took a few steps forward, tilting my head upwards with one of his warm-ish hands. "That sounds like a challenge to me. Should we make this into an official bet?" I was proud of myself for not melting into his hand. "I bet that I could make you fall in love with me, fair and square, by the end of the week."

"If you don't?"

"Then you can make a request from me that I will follow. And if I do, which I most likely will, you come live with me and my family for the duration of an American school year. With a few of your most trusted guards, of course." My face hopefully stayed neutral at this. Why would he want that? I could feel Demetri stiffen for a second and heard Peter snort.

Those two knew something I didn't.

I shook it off as I remembered I still had to answer him. Behind him, I could see his family with varying degrees of excitement. "Fine. Don't kiss me unless I say so, be a gentleman and I think we can get through this week without one of us killing the other. Now, as for everyone else in the room, I expect this little bet to be kept a secret. Powers of any kind will not be used to manipulate the outcome or hint as to what may happen. If any such thing happens then the bet is off and Jasper has lost." They all nodded as I made eye contact with them. "Good. How about we get to the throne room sometime today."

Demetri chuckled, before opening the kitchen door. I stopped, partway out the door to look at the mess that my breakfast had turned out to be. "Oh, and Peter, dear," I said in a sweet voice that barely concealed my dislike for him right now. "Clean up the mess."

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**A/N: Hey everyone! New chapter up kind of quickly, right? I'm having writers block on my other two stories at the moment, so I'm focusing on this one instead. Hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

* * *

"You want to what?" I asked the war god standing in front of me cautiously. After the little scene in the kitchen, everyone had made their way to the throne room. It was awkward for the first few minutes, no one really knowing what to say or do, but Emmett Cullen - bless him - had broken the tension quickly. With his question 'What is there to do in this joint', I had sent everyone to different areas of the castle to do activities they all loved. Everyone had left the room chatting happily, making new friends or chatting with old friends. It was kind of a brilliant idea. After all, what better way to connect people than have everyone with the same interests hang out?

When the groups had dwindled down, I had sent them away with various members of the guard. When my father and uncles were sure that I had control over the situation and that I was safe, they had left me. Once the large crowd had narrowed down to fifteen or so people, I sent Felix with them to the game room. I had watched the doors close and sighed, closing my eyes. That's when Whitlock had made his presence known and made his request. Which brought us to where we were now. Standing in the middle of the empty throne room while I regarded him with caution.

"I want to spend the day with you."

Eight simple words, yet I couldn't tell how I should react to that. Jasper was all new territory to me. He was dangerous, even more so than my mafia-like family. He should come with a warning label if you ask me. I stared at him, searching his face for some hidden motivation. All I could see was the usual smirk that was on his face, if not a hint of curiosity in his amber colored eyes. There was no hostility or any of his usual 'I'm better than you' look.

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to get you too fall in love with me if we don't spend time together?" He cocked an eyebrow at me, but not to make me feel stupid. Just to remind me of our little bet. Which did help to clear up some of my confusion. He stared at me, hands in his pockets, waiting for my answer. I hesitated. Demetri didn't seem to have a problem with me and Jasper making this bet, neither did his family. Peter was likely to blow a gasket on me, but that had a fifty-fifty shot of ending up being entertaining.

_Oh, to hell with it,_ I thought finally. If he wanted to spend his time with me, then fine. It was in the unspoken rights of the bet anyways. "That's fine, Whitlock. Now lets go. I have a feeling that the best entertainment is in the game room right now." I didn't wait for him, just strode past him on my way out. It's not like he couldn't catch up to me anyway.

It was a quiet walk to the game room. Not awkward or unpleasant. It was just quiet. Jasper and I never touched, just walked side by side comfortably. Never once did he try and show off or be rude. It was strange. As we got closer, he started to laugh randomly. At first I thought he was laughing at something I did, which made me annoyed and self-conscious. Then I realized it was probably something that I couldn't hear, so I shrugged it off.

"Whitlock," I said casually. From the corner of my eye I saw him look at me with a metaphorical question mark over his head. I smiled, amused. "What are you laughing about?"

His amber colored eyes smiled. "Oh. Well you see, my brother, Emmett, is currently getting his ass handed to him by Peter at Guitar Hero. He's very annoyed with that." I laughed out loud at this. Peter was probably in the top three Guitar Hero players here in the castle. Maybe on Earth. The number one player was Felix though. He played the real guitar better than anyone else I knew, so it didn't surprise me that he was amazing at the video game. I normally ended up coming in close second to him. Unless it was Rockband. In that case it was anyone's game. We both chuckled as I came into hearing range of Emmett's loud groans. Both of were laughing as we walked inside the room. It was strangely nice.

Some of the guests in the room froze when we walked in. Others bowed, but I just smiled at them and asked them to continue on as if I wasn't present. I was grateful when the ones who didn't freeze or act all mannerly simply grabbed their friends and continued playing whatever game it was.

"Isa! Come play Bioshock with me!" Felix waved at me from one of the couches and I bounced over to him happily grabbing the red controller.

"One or Two?"

"Two, of course."

I grinned as he set it up for two players. "Good." I looked around for Whitlock and saw him standing awkwardly next to the couch, not really sure what to do. "Whitlock! Sit your ass down on the couch. Now." He did as I commanded, looking at me curiously. As soon as he was sitting down, I plopped myself down in his lap. I felt him stiffen as I nestled backwards.

"What?"

I looked up at him with a mischievous grin. "How are you supposed to make me fall in love with you if you don't act like my boyfriend?" With that said, me and Felix started our game. I could sense his smile as he rested his chin on top of my head and wrapped his arms around my stomach loosely. Felix looked at us out of the corner of his eye, but just smiled like he knew something I didn't. Much to my satisfaction, I saw Peter clench his fists in anger.

_2 - 0, Bella in the lead!_ I thought happily, as I played one of my favorite games. For hours we all took turns. Sometimes it was even me and Jasper playing at the same time. Eventually though, my fun had to come to an end. And that end came as soon as Jane's voice echoed through the hallway.

"Band practice now!"

I groaned in frustration. "Come on, Isa. Let's get this over with. We need to get the songs for tonight out of the way." When I didn't move he reached for me. Jasper knocked his hands away and I grinned triumphantly, albeit a bit surprised by him. When Peter tried, Jasper sent him a smile and kicked his stomach. A laugh threatened to escape me as I saw his surprised look. After a few more failed attempts, Felix shrugged and gave Jasper a look before nodding his head and walking away. I grinned up at Jasper, when he smirked at me and hoisted me up over his shoulder.

"You jerk! You aren't winning in points with this, you know!" I said, pounding my fists uselessly against his back. I could hear Peter, Felix and Jasper laugh at this.

"Sorry, Princess. I have to listen to your body guards though. They scare me just a little more than you do."

I growled at that. "Oh trust me, Whitlock. They should be the least of your worries if you end up pissing me off. You're just lucky that we have this bet in place. Now hurry up. I want to get this over with so I can prepare for tonight."

Nobody bothered to reply to me as we made our way toward the sound proof music room/dance studio. It really was great. There was a section of the room meant for the band, while the other half had walls of mirrors. Everyone was tuning up the various instruments that needed to be tuned. They all stared at me and Jasper as he set me down gently on my feet and I gave him a mock curtsy.

"Um, Bella? What the hell is he doing here?"

"He's with me. If you want the story you can ask Felix. I'm gonna go change into something looser. Whitlock better still be in here when I get back."

I walked away quickly towards the little changing room. I changed into a pair of workout shorts and a tank top. I had spied Alec in the practice room stretching, meaning that I was most likely going to be getting a good workout today as well. Not that I minded. It kept me fit and it was fun. Mostly. When I walked out, all eyes turned to me. "So what are we doing today?"

"Let's put the song list for tonight up. Did you hear what the theme was from Esme?"

"Yeah. It's 'Trip Down Memory Lane', which basically means everyone is supposed to wear clothes from their original time period. We'll also be telling stories."

Someone took in a sharp breath. "Does that include your story?"

I nodded. "The kings wish it, so I will fulfill that wish. Our guests won't know everything you know, just what I deem necessary. Anyway, I have a few songs already planned out for tonight."

"Which songs are that, Isa?" Felix asked me, strumming random chords on his guitar. Jane was standing next to him, holding his hand tightly. I had to stop from rolling my eyes at them. Mates.

"Considering tonight's theme, I want to do songs that are important to me. So let's start with Unforgivable, go to Runaway, Courage, and then... I want to do Wind Beneath My Wings." There was a pause as everyone stared at me in slight awe. It was a song that I had only sung once in my life to one person, and that was only when I thought he was leaving me for good. "Now let's run through some songs I can dance to."

"How about Top of the World, Bella? Then we can do Backseat, and finish with Kiss My Lips." Alec's suggestions told me that he was gonna make me work.

"That's fine, but let's get started. I've got to head up to my room in two hours."

**. . . .**

It took us an hour alone to finish the choreography to Top of the World. We had to stop and restart multiple times because someone would mess up or I couldn't get the move down fast enough. It was frustrating, but when I finally did master it, I felt super proud of myself. Jasper stayed silent through the whole thing, thankfully, and I took a long sip of my water, almost draining the whole bottle.

Backseat only took a half an hour at most. We knew that song pretty well, but Alec wanted to add a few new moves to the dance we already had. My muscles were sore, but it was a pleasant soreness.

Finally we got to the last song, which was one of our favorites. It only took twenty minutes for us to finish it, but it was flawless. We ended the song with Alec dipping me backwards, one arm around my back and one hand on my head. His lips were on my neck, placing a soft kiss there, and one of my legs were wrapped loosely around one of his legs.

"Good job, you guys! Let me go change and then we can wrap this up. Jane I need you to be ready to go up to my room when I get out." I didn't bother to wait for her reply as I changed back into my outfit quickly. My lips turned down as I looked at myself. God, I couldn't wait for a shower. When I got back out, the room was slightly tense. Strange. "Okay. Remember the songs tonight and what you guys play. Don't tell anyone about the song choices, and I'll see you guys tonight."

They all nodded and I made my way with Jane. Jasper stopped me before I could leave though, placing a hand on my arm. "What time should I pick you up?"

I smiled. "Seven. Not a minute before, and not a minute after."

"I'll see you then, Princess."

"See you then, Whitlock."

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**A/N: Hey! Sorry this chapter is short and not up as fast as I thought it would be. My cousin had surgery on her leg so I'm spending my days with her in the hospital! I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Please, please, please, leave a review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

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I don't often sit around and think about my past. Actually, the only times I do think about it is when the memories come back to me suddenly without my control. Most of the time I simply tried to forget anything before I arrived in this castle. Not that I had a bad childhood or anything. It's just that it got painful to think of sometimes. Athenadora, the woman I considered a mother, seemed to understand that. She had been waiting for me silently when I had got back to my room.

I studied her as she flitted around my room. Jane had stayed long enough to help me draw a bath, but then my mom came in and sent her away. They had spoken for a few minutes, but that was out of my human earshot. Now, here she was, grabbing different beauty supplies from around my room. Her light hair was pulled up in a ponytail for once, with only a few long tendrils escaping it. As she made her way over to me, I noticed she was sucking her bottom lip in concentration. That subtle habit of hers made me remember my birth mother, Renee. Whenever she concentrated, she used to suck on her bottom lip. Not that I had seen that look very often.

"There you go, my dear. You're as lovely as your name implies, Bella." Her voice was soft and loving with a hint of pride. It was the voice of any proud mother, which made me feel warm inside.

"Thank you, mommy." Her red eyes shone with a mix of happiness and worry. I very rarely called Athenadora anything other than her name or 'mom'. Only when I was scared, did I call her mommy. Everyone who lived with us knew that too. She pulled me into a hug and I held her tightly. Renee was never like this.

"There, there, baby. Why don't we get you into your dress and do your hair before we call the girls back in. Sound good?" All I could do was nod as she got up and pulled my dress from my closet. It was a gorgeous dress. Red, of course. The top of the dress was tight fitting, with a strap over the shoulder that had a little ruffled flower on it. On the bodice part of it there was a silver vine design. The skirt didn't flare out much, but it did just a little to look cute. It was ruched up in places, the fabric held together with silver jewels. I stepped into it and then let her lace up the back of it.

We stood next to each other, looking into my mirror. It was an odd sight. One of the vampire queens, looking more like a modern day mom in jeans with her hair pulled up, standing next to her adopted human daughter who looked like a princess from a fairy tale. A knock on the door broke my train of thoughts. Mom called the girls in for me, since I didn't feel like talking just yet. They all filed in elegantly, already wearing their dresses. Sulpicia was carrying mom's dress. They all fussed over my hair and added a few last minute adjustments. Soon enough it was time for their daily gossip.

I had zoned out as they talked, only to be jarred back to reality by a sudden knock on my door. The clock read six-fifty four, which made me frown. I told Jasper seven, no exceptions. Before I could answer though, my door was opened and the kings walked in. They all had grim expressions on their faces, which made me worry.

"Father, uncles," I said, curtsying to them. "To what do I owe the pleasure of you coming to my room?"

"Isabella, it seems that some of the vampires in attendance have not heeded our warning to feed before coming. They are dangerous. I'm afraid that tonight we will have to cancel the ball and send Heidi out instead." I stared at them, not fully understanding the situation. They wanted to cancel the ball? Tonight was the only night that I'd be able to share my story with them.

"I've been freaking out all day thinking about what I would say tonight and then you want to cancel it? I'm sorry father, but that won't do." There was a sharp knock on my door, making everyone look towards it. I looked up at the clock and noted how it was seven on the dot. A small smile graced my face. At least he was capable of following directions. "If you would all excuse me, that is my date for the night."

There were grumbles and sighs as I opened my bedroom door, grabbed Jasper's hand, and started walking away. He didn't say anything at first, not until we had gone a little way from my room.

"You look quite lovely, Princess."

I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. He was wearing a tuxedo, much like last night, but it was a different style. More southern, I guess. And old looking. His honey blonde hair fell perfectly, and made him look much more like the gentleman I thought he couldn't be. "You clean up nice, Whitlock."

He didn't reply as we walked for a few minutes down the hallway. We reached the doors to the ballroom soon enough. Surprisingly enough, I was the first one there. Sure, I saw some of the other guard members (on high alert I may add), but they were the ones that didn't hang out with me as much just yet. While I trusted them all, it made me a bit nervous to not have my regular group with me. Jasper's hand tightened around mine as if he could tell I was nervous. I subtly entwined our arms, clinging to him. He didn't say anything about it, thankfully.

We stayed that way until my group showed up. All of them were on high alert as well. None of them approached me, but they all sent me sideways glances every few seconds. It was very annoying. All the glances seemed to say they didn't trust me. Or Jasper. Which was beyond ridiculous. I'm pretty sure I was the only one stupid enough to annoy the God of War. And since we had a bet in place, he wasn't about to kill me, that's for sure.

"Relax, darling," my date said quietly. "They're just worried about you. Ignore them and focus on something else." I suddenly felt calm at the thought. Odd.

"Why don't we go talk to your family? They all seemed nice enough. Plus I didn't get much time to chat with them yesterday." Jasper shrugged, indifferent at the thought. Since our arms were still hooked together, he led me over to where his family was standing around chatting to the second golden eyed coven that I had yet to meet. There was five of them together. Four were women, of which three were blonde and one had dark hair. The fifth was a man. The conversation they were having came to a halt as we approached.

"Jazzy!" Little Alice's nickname made me chuckle. Jasper sent me the universal 'shut the hell up' look, but I just laughed harder. It was funny after all. The fact that this tiny energetic girl could call the 'Great and Powerful God of War' by 'Jazzy' was laughable. She came to a stop about a foot away from us. "And Isabella!"

I grinned at her. She was a bit quirky, but that was fun. Jasper had a relaxed smile on his face. Obviously there was something about her that melted the coldness around him. It was a nice change, that's for sure. Edward came over to her, dropping a kiss on her head as he greeted me. The rest of the group slowly made their way over. Emmett gave one of his infectious grins. Rosalie just looked bored and upset.

"Hey y'all. Isabella here wanted to meet you all and come talk. Don't ask me why though. Wanted to talk with you bunch makes me think she's a bit crazy." I giggled along with some of the others. My hand made light contact with his chest.

"Be nice, Whitlock." I turned to the others. "I haven't had the pleasure in meeting you. I'm Isabella." The hand that wasn't curled around Jasper's arm was extended and they all shook it. The three blond women I learned were Tanya, Kate, and Irina. The dark haired women was Carmen and her mate was Eleazar. My eyes widened as I recognized Eleazar's name.

Irina was the only blonde sister that was mated. Her mate was off talking to an old friend though. About half way through our conversation she straightened up and looked over my shoulder with a big smile. We all turned slightly to see a dark haired man making his way through the crowd. I disentangled my arm from Jasper's as I noticed his eyes were black.

Growing up with vampires helped you learn a few things. One of which was that if the eyes were black, the vampire had little to no control over their thirst. I eyed him carefully, already set on edge.

"Laurent! Come here and meet Princess Isabella!" Her voice was happy, but it was cut off by a low growl from Laurent. He let a growl rip from his throat as he lunged at me, fangs bared.

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**A/N: So, yeah... I'm a horrible updater and we all know it. Thanks to everyone who actually sticks to this story and reads it. What do you think of this chapter? I've got some time so I'll start the next one right now. Thanks again to everyone who reads and follows and favorites and reviews. 3**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only own what I can come up with.**

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Timing was key. Vampires moved much faster than humans should be able to track, but I had grown accustomed to it. Adapting to your surroundings is probably the first lesson I learned when I moved here. Laurent moved and as he got closer, I twirled out of the way, ducking down as I did so. It was a move that Alec had taught me in our duel self defense/dance class. Demetri and the others moved in on Irina's mate before I even stood up, leading me to believe the whole ordeal had lasted less than ten seconds.

The hungry vampire continued to struggle against his holds. Resemblance to an angry animal was obvious, but it didn't frighten me. Irina had dropped to her knees in a desperate attempt to calm her mate. Her golden eyes were wide with fear. Behind me there was a shuffling and I knew that the crowd was parting for my father and uncles. Jasper's warmer-than-normal arms pulled me away from Laurent. Part of me wanted to smile, show him I was alright, but a much bigger part of me was focusing on how to defuse this situation.

My family wasn't known for their mercy. In my experience, they showed even less when someone put my safety on the line. By the time it took the vampire trio to reach us, Laurent had come to his senses. His eyes were lighter around the edges as he looked around the room wide eyed.

"Please, three kings," Irina cried. Her golden eyes were shining with venomous tears she couldn't shed. "Please show mercy!" The way she stepped in front of him, combined with the frightened look on her face made tears well in my own eyes.

Aro, for once, wasn't in charge. Caius was the one who looked at Demetri and Felix. Jane gently but firmly pulled Irina away, holding her tightly. The boys drug him forward through the parted crowds as the kings followed behind them slowly. I watched in silence, feeling like something inside of me was breaking as I heard Irina's dry sobs.

My uncles stood on either side of my father as he took the center position. Felix and Demetri had Laurent on his knees. One of their hands was pulling his head up by his hair. "Laurent of the Denali coven," my father's voice boomed. "Do you understand the crime you have committed?" The tone of his voice made me shiver. It was cold, even colder than his skin, and harder than even vampire skin.

"I understand, sir. My thirst got the better of me. I have yet to adjust fully to the animal diet of my other coven members."

"That does not excuse you! You tried to kill my daughter, the Princess of the Volturi! Punishment will be dealt! Do you understand this?" My father shouted angrily. I flinched, drawing back a bit. I could feel Jasper's curiosity but I was focused on the scene in front of me. The tiny spark of hope in Laurent's eyes died at the speech. "Good. Demetri, if you will." Around us, people varying looks. Some were horrified, some were hard. Obviously no one agreed with this, but what could they do? No once could stand up to the kings without dying.

Demetri didn't look remorseful as he stepped forward. His face was devoid of emotions as he stepped forward. Behind me, Irina's cries escalated, but she had given up as well. Guilt gnawed at my stomach as a realization crashed over me. On impulse, I pulled out of Jasper's hold.

"Stop!" No one could do anything to stop them without dying. No one except for me. "Do not kill him!"

Everyone froze. Even Irina, giving me time to pull my dress up a bit and run forward. Before anyone regained their composure, I was standing in between Demetri and Irina's mate. My 'Metri broke his emotionless facade as he stared at me, torn. He knew he couldn't do anything if I didn't want him to, but he couldn't go against a direct order from the kings. "Father, uncles. I beg of you, do not kill this man for a simple lapse of control."

"This was more than a lapse of control, niece." Sweet uncle Marcus had steel in his voice. "Now please move aside."

I looked back at Laurent. He looked up at me with such hope it made me want to hug him. Behind him, Irina was also staring at me, pleading with me. When I looked back towards the kings, my resolve was strengthened. This man did not deserve to die because of a mistake and I would not allow him to die here. "No."

"Excuse me? Isabella, do you know who you are talking to?" My father asked with narrowed eyes. His voice was nearing a growl. Fine. He wants to play this game, I will play too. My own eyes narrowed and my tone dropped into as intimidating as I could.

"I am talking to my father and my uncles. I am also speaking as a princess, which means I am allowed to have a say. And since it was in fact my life on the line, I should get to decide Laurent's fate." My desperation was rising, but I pushed it down. "Before the ball, you yourself came to warn me about those who had not taken your advice. You informed me I was taking a risk, and I was aware of that. It was my mistake to believe that those who thirsted would remain in their rooms tonight."

"He tried to kill you! We can not allow him to live, Isabella!"

"Laurent has made a mistake! Everyone in this room has made them before, including yourselves. Do not forget that, Caius. You as well, Aro and Marcus." I took turns looking them all in the eyes. I had the pleasure of seeming the squirm a bit before I continued. "You three are no more perfect than this man here. I am still alive, still part of this family. If you rip Laurent from his life, his family, and his mate, you might as well have let me die."

Silenced followed my words. I could tell by the change in atmosphere that my words had affected not only my family, but everyone around us as well. My stubbornness didn't allow me to look away from the kings, otherwise I would've. My family understood that I didn't mean just this attempt, but the ones in my past as well.

The kings sent me a mixed look. Pride and respect were the most dominant expressions, but I could see the slight hurt. The anger was still there, but it also warred with doubt. The small whimper Irina gave seemed to finally break them down though.

"Very well, Isabella. We will let you handle the situation as you want. Let it be clear to everyone though. If this thing happens again, Isabella will not have the chance to defend you." Aro's voice rang through the ballroom. I let out a breath as my father and uncles glanced at me before exiting the room to blow off steam.

I turned around, kneeling in front of Laurent. He had a dazed look on his face, as did other people in the room. Disbelief. Awe. Wonder. Those were what I saw on his face. A smile crept onto my face as I took his hand and stood him up with me. "Jane." She didn't need an order. My sister gave me a bright smile as Irina flung herself into her mate's arms, crying and laughing. He automatically wrapped his arms tightly around her shaking frame, his eyes searching mine.

"Why?"

I felt Demetri walk behind me and smiled up at him. His eyes held pride as he kissed my head. I smiled at him like I would smile at a scared child. Softly. "Later, Laurent. It will all be explained later. For now though, please go hunt." I turned my attention to everyone else. "Any person who needs to hunt, please go as well. I ask that you do not hunt in the city."

A handful of vampires slipped out of the room quickly. Irina thanked me profusely, looking at me like I was her hero. I just smiled at her, looking up at Demetri who looked smug. I knew why he did, and that made me feel even better with my choices. Addressing the still in shock crowd was easier with him next to me, definitely on my side. "Please return to the festivities. We will wait for the other party to return before we move on with the music and other planned events."

Vampires went back to what they were doing, hesitantly, but soon it became even more natural than when I first entered. My body sagged with relief as soon as the attention was off me. Irina hugged me tightly before backing up, beaming. 'Metri escorted both of us back to the Denali and Cullen covens. He handed me over to Jasper, giving him a pointed look which my date returned. Jasper pulled me into his arms, which surprised me a bit. Was he willing to go this far to win a bet? Or was this genuine concern?

Both covens looked at me as if I was family now. Even Rosalie had some respect in her eyes when she looked at me. "Thank you so much, Isabella. We can not even begin to thank you enough," Eleazar began.

I waved a hand at him, placing the other one on Jasper's arm. "Please do not mention it. You will understand my reasons soon enough." My eyes met Demetri and I knew he could see the panic in my eyes at the thought. I was hoping they would be a long while.

Sadly enough for me, it only took one measly hour. Jasper led me to the stage that had been set up again. We had all decided that this dress was good enough for tonight's song selection, so there was no need to change. I had another spontaneous idea, that I mentioned to Felix and he nodded his head, agreeing. He told the others who nodded as well. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath to ready myself. This was the beginning of either the end, or a possible good future.

Hopefully it was the latter.

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**A/N: So, this chapter pretty much wrote itself. Also, it's to try and make up for being a horrible updater. Seriously you guys, I'm so sorry! :( Thank you all for being amazing and sticking with this story. You are all amazing. :)**


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